University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XI.

On the 19th, captain Clarke not being able to find the
bear mentioned in the last chapter, spent the day in examining
the country both above and below the Whitebear
islands, and concluded that the place of his encampment
would be the best point for the extremity of the portage.
The men were therefore occupied in drying the meat to be
left here. Immense numbers of buffaloe are every where
round, and they saw a summer duck which is now sitting.
The next morning, 20th, he crossed the level plain, fixed
stakes to mark the route of the portage, till he passed a
large ravine which would oblige us to make the portage
farther from the river: after this there being no other obstacle
he went to the river where he had first struck it, and
took its courses and distances down to the camp. From the
draught and survey of captain Clarke, we had now a clear
and connected view of the falls, cascades, and rapids of the
Missouri.

This river is three hundred yards wide at the point
where it receives the waters of Medicine river, which is
one hundred and thirty-seven yards in width. The united
current continues three hundred and twenty-eight poles to a

small rapid on the north side, from which it gradually
widens to one thousand four hundred yards, and at the distance
of five hundred and forty-eight poles reaches the head
of the rapids, narrowing as it approaches them. Here the
hills on the north which had withdrawn from the bank
closely border the river, which, for the space of three hundred
and twenty poles, makes its way over the rocks with
a descent of thirty feet: in this course the current is contracted
to five hundred and eighty yards, and after throwing
itself over a small pitch of five feet, forms a beautiful
cascade of twenty-six feet five inches; this does not however
fall immediately perpendicular, being stopped by a part of
the rock which projects at about one third of the distance.
After descending this fall, and passing the cottonwood
island on which the eagle has fixed its nest, the river goes
on for five hundred and thirty-two poles over rapids and little
falls, the estimated descent of which is thirteen feet six
inches till it is joined by a large fountain boiling up underneath
the rocks near the edge of the river, into which it
falls with a cascade of eight feet. It is of the most perfect
clearness and rather of a bluish cast: and even after falling
into the Missouri it preserves its colour for half a mile.
From this fountain the river descends with increased rapidity
for the distance of two hundred and fourteen poles, during
which the estimated descent is five feet: from this for
a distance of one hundred and thirty-five poles, the river
descends fourteen feet seven inches including a perpendicular
fall of six feet seven inches. The river has now become
pressed into a space of four hundred and seventy-three
yards, and here forms a grand cataract by falling over a
plain rock the whole distance across the river to the depth
of forty-seven feet eight inches: after recovering itself the
Missouri then proceeds with an estimated descent of three
feet, till at the distance of one hundred and two poles it
again is precipitated down the Crooked falls of nineteen
feet perpendicular; below this at the mouth of a deep ravine
is a fall of five feet, after which for the distance of
nine hundred and seventy poles the descent is much more
gradual, not being more than ten feet, and then succeeds a
handsome level plain for the space of one hundred and
seventy-eight poles with a computed descent of three feet,
making a bend towards the north. Thence it descends
during four hundred and eighty poles, about eighteen feet
and a half, when it makes a perpendicular fall of two feet,
which is ninety poles beyond the great cataract, in approaching
which it descends thirteen feet within two hundred
yards, and gathering strength from its confined channel,
which is only two hundred and eighty yards wide,
rushes over the fall to the depth of eighty-seven feet and
three quarters of an inch. After raging among the rocks
and losing itself in foam, it is compressed immediately into a
bed of ninety-three yards in width: it continues for three
hundred and forty poles to the entrance of a run or deep ravine
where there is a fall of three feet, which, joined to the
decline of the river during that course, makes the descent
six feet. As it goes on the descent within the next two hundred
and forty poles is only four feet: from this passing a run
or deep ravine the descent for four hundred poles is thirteen
feet; within two hundred and forty poles a second descent
of eighteen feet; thence one hundred and sixty poles
a descent of six feet; after which to the mouth of Portage
creek, a distance of two hundred and eighty poles, the descent
is ten feet. From this survey and estimate it results
that the river experiences a descent of three hundred and
fifty-two feet in the course of two and three quarter miles,
from the commencement of the rapids to the mouth of
Portage creek, exclusive of the almost impassable rapids
which extend for a mile below its entrance.

The latitude of our camp below the entrance of Portage
creek, was found to be 47° 7′ 10″ 3, as deduced from
a meridian altitude of the sun's lower limb taken with octant
by back observation giving 53° 10′.

Friday, June 21. Having made the necessary preparations
for continuing our route, a part of the baggage was
carried across the creek into the high plain, three miles
in advance and placed on one of the carriages with truck
wheels: the rest of the party was employed in drying meat
and dressing elk skins. We killed several muledeer and an
elk, and observed as usual vast quantities of buffaloe who
came to drink at the river. For the first time on the Missouri
we have seen near the falls a species of fishing duck,
the body of which is brown and white, the wings white,
and the head and upper part of the neck of a brick red,
with a narrow beak, which seems to be of the same kind
common in the Susquehanna, Potomac and James' river.
The little wood which this neighbourhood affords consists
of the broad and narrow-leafed cottonwood, the box alder,
the narrow and broad-leafed willow, the large or sweet
willow, which was not common below Maria's river, but
which here attains the same size and has the same appearance
as in the Atlantic states. The undergrowth consists
of roses, gooseberries, currants, small honeysuckles, and
the redwood, the inner part of which the engages or watermen
are fond of smoking when mixed with tobacco.

Saturday, 22. We now set out to pass the portage and
halted for dinner at eight miles distance near a little stream.
The axletrees of our carriage, which had been made of an
old mast, and the cottonwood tongues broke before we came
there: but we renewed them with the timber of the sweet willow,
which lasted till within half a mile of our intended
camp, when the tongues gave way and we were obliged to
take as much baggage as we could carry on our backs down
to the river, where we formed an encampment in a small
grove of timber opposite to the Whitebear islands. Here
the banks on both sides of the river are handsome, level,
and extensive; that near our camp is not more than two feet
above the surface of the water. The river is about eight
hundred yards wide just above these islands, ten feet deep

in most places, and with a very gentle current. The plains
however on this part of the river are not so fertile as those
from the mouth of the Muscleshell and thence downwards;
there is much more stone on the sides of the hills and on the
broken lands than is to be found lower down. We saw in
the plains vast quantities of buffaloe, a number of small
birds, and the large brown curlew, which is now sitting, and
lays its eggs, which are of a pale blue with black specks,
on the ground without any nest. There is also a species of
lark much resembling the bird called the oldfield lark, with a
yellow breast and a black spot on the croup; though it differs
from the latter in having its tail formed of feathers of
an unequal length and pointed; the beak too is somewhat
longer and more curved, and the note differs considerably.
The prickly pear annoyed us very much to-day by sticking
through our moccasins. As soon as we had kindled our fires
we examined the meat which captain Clarke had left here,
but found that the greater part of it had been taken by the
wolves.

Sunday, 23. After we had brought up the canoe and
baggage captain Clarke went down to the camp at Portage
creek, where four of the men had been left with the Indian
woman. Captain Lewis during the morning prepared the
camp, and in the afternoon went down in a canoe to Medicine
river to look after the three men who had been sent
thither to hunt on the 19th, and from whom nothing had as
yet been heard. He went up the river about half a mile
and then walked along on the right bank, hallooing as he
went, till at the distance of five miles he found one of them
who had fixed his camp on the opposite bank, where he had
killed seven deer and dried about six hundred pounds of
buffaloe meat, but had killed no elk, the animal chiefly wanted.
He knew nothing of his companions except that on the
day of their departure from camp he had left them at the
falls and come on to Medicine river, not having seen them
since. As it was too late to return captain Lewis passed

over on a raft which he made for the purpose and spent the
night at Shannon's camp, and the next morning,

Monday, 24, sent J. Fields up the river with orders to
go four miles and return, whether he found the two absent
hunters or not then descending the southwest side of Medicine
river, the crossed the Missouri in the canoe, and sent
Shannon back to his camp to join Fields and bring the meat
which they had killed: this they did, and arrived in the
evening at the camp on Whitebear islands. A part of the
men from Portage creek also arrived with two canoes and
baggage. On going down yesterday captain Clarke cut off
several angles of the former route so as to shorten the Portage
considerably, and marked it with stakes: he arrived
there in time to have two of the canoes carried up in the
high plain about a mile in advance. Here they all repaired
their moccasins, and put on double soals to protect them
from the prickly pear and from the sharp points of earth
which have been formed by the trampling of the buffaloe
during the late rains: this of itself is sufficient to render the
portage disagreeable to one who had no burden; but as the
men are loaded as heavily as their strength will permit, the
crossing is really painful: some are limping with the soreness
of their feet, others are scarcely able to stand for more
than a few minutes from the heat and fatigue: they are
all obliged to halt and rest frequently, and at almost every
stopping place they fall and many of them are asleep in an
instant; yet no one complains and they go on with great
cheerfulness. At their camp Drewyer and Fields joined
them, and while captain Lewis was looking for them at
Medicine river, they returned to report the absence of
Shannon about whom they had been very uneasy. They
had killed several buffaloe at the bend of the Missouri
above the falls: and dried about eight hundred pounds of meat
and got one hundred pounds of tallow: they had also killed
some deer, but had seen no elk. After getting the party in
motion with the canoes captain Clarke returned to his camp
at Portage creek.

We were now occupied in fitting up a boat of skins, the
frame of which had been prepared for the purpose at Harper's
ferry. It was made of iron, thirty-six feet long, four
feet and a half in the beam, and twenty-six inches wide in
the bottom. Two men had been sent this morning for timber
to complete it, but they could find scarcely any even
tolerably straight sticks four and a half feet long, and as the
cottonwood is too soft and brittle we were obliged to use
the willow and box-alder.

Tuesday, 25. The party returned to the lower camp.
Two men were sent on the large island to look for timber.
J. Fields was sent up the Missouri to hunt elk; but he returned
about noon and informed us that a few miles above
he saw two white bear near the river, and in attempting to
fire at them came suddenly on a third, who being only a few
steps off immediately attacked him; that in running to
escape from the monster he leaped down a steep bank of
the river, where falling on a bar of stone he cut his hand and
knee and bent his gun; but fortunately for him the bank
concealed him from his antagonist or he would have been
most probably lost. The other two returned with a small
quantity of bark and timber, which was all they could find
on the island; but they had killed two elk: these were valuable,
as we are desirous of procuring the skins of that animal
in order to cover the boat, as they are more strong and
durable than those of the buffaloe, and do not shrink so
much in drying. The party that went to the lower camp
had one canoe and the baggage carried into the high plain
to be ready in the morning, and then all who could make
use of their feet had a dance on the green to the music of a
violin. We have been unsuccessful in our attempt to catch
fish, nor does there seem to be any in this part of the river.
We observe a number of water terrapins. There are great
quantities of young blackbirds in these islands just
beginning to fly. Among the vegetable productions we observe
a species of wild rye which is now heading: it rises

to the height of eighteen or twenty inches, the beard remarkably
fine and soft; the culen is jointed, and in every
respect except in height it resembles the wild rye. Great
quantities of mint too, like the peppermint, are found here.

The winds are sometimes violent in these plains. The
men inform us that as they were bringing one of the canoes
along on truck-wheels, they hoisted the sail and the wind
carried her along for some distance.

Wednesday 26. Two men were sent on the opposite side
of the river for bark and timber, of which they procured
some, but by no means enough for our purposes. The bark
of the cottonwood is too soft, and our only dependence is on
the sweet willow, which has a tough strong bark; the two
hunters killed seven buffaloe. A party arrived from below
with two canoes and baggage, and the wind being from the
southeast, they had made considerable progress with the
sails. On their arrival one of the men who had been considerably
heated and fatigued, swallowed a very hearty
draught of water, and was immediately taken ill; captain
Lewis bled him with a penknife, having no other instrument
at hand, and succeeded in restoring him to health the next
day. Captain Clarke formed a second cache or deposit near
the camp, and placed the swivel under the rocks near the
river. The antelopes are still scattered through the plains;
the females with their young, which are generally two in
number, and the males by themselves.

Thursday 27. The party were employed in preparing
timber for the boat, except two who were sent to hunt.
About one in the afternoon a cloud arose from the southwest
and brought with it violent thunder, lightning, and
hail: soon after it passed the hunters came in from about
four miles above us. They had killed nine elk, and three
bear. As they were hunting on the river they saw a low
ground covered with thick brushwood, where from the tracks
along shore they thought a bear had probably taken refuge:
they therefore landed, without making a noise, and climbed

a tree about twenty feet above the ground. Having fixed
themselves securely, they raised a loud shout, and a bear instantly
rushed towards them. These animals never climb,
and therefore when he came to the tree and stopped to look
at them, Drewyer shot him in the head; he proved to be the
largest we have yet seen, his noise appeared to be like that
of a common ox, his fore feet measured nine inches across,
and the hind feet were seven inches wide, and eleven and
three quarters long, exclusive of the talons. One of these
animals came within thirty yards of the camp last night, and
carried off some buffaloe meat which we had placed on a
pole. In the evening after the storm the water on this side
of the river became of a deep crimson colour, probably
caused by some stream above washing down a kind of soft
red stone, which we observe in the neighbouring bluffs and
gullies. At the camp below, the men who left us in the
morning were busy in preparing their load for to-morrow,
which were impeded by the rain, hail, and the hard wind
from the northwest.

Friday 28. The party all occupied in making the boat;
they obtained a sufficient quantity of willow bark to line her,
and over these were placed the elk skins, and when they
failed we were obliged to use the buffaloe hide. The white
bear have now become exceedingly troublesome; they constantly
infest our camp during the night, and through they
have not attacked us, as our dog who patroles all night gives
us notice of their approach, yet we are obliged to sleep with
our arms by our sides for fear of accident, and we cannot
send one man alone to any distance, particularly if he has
to pass through brushwood. We saw two of them to-day
on the large island opposite to us, but as we are all so much
occupied now, we mean to reserve ourselves for some leisure
moment, and then make a party to drive them from the
islands. The river has risen nine inches since our arrival
here.

At Portage creek captain Clarke completed the cache,
in which we deposited whatever we could spare from our
baggage; some ammunition, provisions, books, the specimens
of plants and minerals, and a draught of the river from its
entrance to fort Mandan. After closing it he broke up the
encampment, and took on all the remaining baggage to the
high plain, about three miles. Portage creek has risen
considerably in consequence of the rain, and the water had
become of a deep crimson colour, and ill tasted; on overtaking
the canoe he found that there was more baggage than
could be carried on the two carriages, and therefore left
some of the heavy articles which could not be injured, and
proceeded on to Willowrun where he encamped for the night.
Here they made a supper on two buffaloe which they killed
on the way; but passed the night in the rain, with a high
wind from the southwest. In the morning,

Saturday 29, finding it impossible to reach the end of
the portage with their present load, in consequence of
the state of the road after the rain, he sent back nearly
all his party to bring on the articles which had been
left yesterday. Having lost some notes and remarks
which he had made on first ascending the river, he determined
to go up to the Whitebear islands along its banks, in
order to supply the deficiency. He there left one man to
guard the baggage, and went on to the falls accompanied
by his servant York, Chaboneau and his wife with her
young child. On his arrival there he observed a very dark
clould rising in the west which threatened rain, and looked
around for some shelter, but could find no place where they
would be secure from being blown into the river if the wind
should prove as violent as it sometimes does in the plains.
At length about a quarter of a mile above the falls he found
a deep ravine where there were some shelving rocks, under
which he took refuge. They were on the upper side of the
ravine near the river, perfectly safe from the rain, and therefore
laid down their guns, compass, and other articles which

they carried with them. The shower was at first moderate,
it then increased to a heavy rain, the effects of which they
did not feel: soon after a torrent of rain and hail descended;
the rain seemed to fall in a solid mass, and instantly collecting
in the ravine came rolling down in a dreadful current,
carrying the mud and rocks, and every thing that opposed
it. Captain Clarke fortunately saw it a moment before it
reached them, and springing up with his gun and shotpouch
in his left hand, with his right clambered up the steep
bluff, pushing on the Indian woman with her child in her
arms; her husband too had seized her hand, and was pulling
her up the hill, but he was so terrified at the danger that
but for captain Clark, himself and his wife and child
would have been lost. So instantaneous was the rise of the
water, that before captain Clarke had reached his gun and
began to ascend the bank, the water was up to his waist, and
he could scarce get up faster than it rose, till it reached the
height of fifteen feet with a furious current, which had they
waited a moment longer would have swept them into the
river just above the great falls, down which they must inevitable
have been precipitated. They reached the plain in
safety, and found York who had separated from them just
before the storm to hunt some buffaloe, and was now returning
to find his master. They had been obliged to escape
so rapidly that captain Clarke lost his compass and umbrella,
Chaboneau left his gun, shotpouch, and tomahawk, and
the Indian woman had just time to grasp her child, before
the net in which it lay at her feet was carried down the
current. He now relinquished his intention of going up the
river and returned to the camp at Willowrun. Here he found
that the party sent this morning for the baggage, had all returned
to camp in great confusion, leaving their loads in the
plain. On account of the heat they generally go nearly naked,
and with no covering on their heads. The hail was so large
and driven so furiously against them by the high wind, that it
knocked several of them down: one of them particularly was
thrown on the ground three times, and most of them bleeding
freely and complained of being much bruised. Willow run
had risen six feet since the rain, and as the plains were so
wet that they could not proceed, they passed the night at
their camp.

At the Whitebear camp also, we had not been insensible
to the hail-storm, though less exposed. In the morning
there had been a heavy shower of rain, after which it became
fair. After assigning to the men their respective employments,
captain Lewis took one of them and went to see
the large fountain near the falls. For about six miles he
passed through a beautiful level plain, and then on reaching
the break of the river hills, was overtaken by the gust
of wind from the southwest attended by lightning, thunder,
and rain: fearing a renewal of the scene on the 27th, they
took shelter in a little gully where there were some broad
stones with which they meant to protect themselves against
the hail; but fortunately there was not much, and that of
a small size; so that they felt no inconvenience except that
of being exposed without shelter for an hour, and being
drenched by the rain: after it was over they proceeded to
the fountain which is perhaps the largest in America. It
is situated in a pleasant level plain, about twenty-five yards
from the river, into which it falls over some steep irregular
rocks with a sudden ascent of about six feet in one part of
its course. The water boils up from among the rocks and
with such force near the centre, that the surface seems
higher there than the earth on the sides of the fountain,
which is a handsome turf of fine green grass. The water
is extremely pure, cold and pleasant to the taste, not being
impregnated with lime or any foreign substance. It is perfectly
transparent and continues its bluish east for half a
mile down the Missouri, notwithstanding the rapidity of
the river. After examining it for some time captain Lewis
returned to the camp.

Sunday 30. In the morning captain Clarke sent the men
to bring up the baggage left in the plains yesterday. On
their return the axletrees and carriages were repaired,
and the baggage conveyed on the shoulders of the party
across Willow run which had fallen as low as three feet.
The carriages being then taken over, a load of baggage
was carried to the six-mile stake, deposited there, and
the carriages brought back. Such is the state of the plains
that this operation consumed the day. Two men were sent
to the falls to look for the articles lost yesterday; but they
found nothing but the compass covered with mud and
sand at the mouth of the ravine; the place at which captain
Clarke had been caught by the storm, was filled with
large rocks. The men complain much of the bruises received
yesterday from the hail. A more than usual number
of buffaloe appeared about the camp to-day, and furnished
plenty of meat: captain Clarke thought that at one
view he must have seen at least ten thousand. In the course
of the day there was a heavy gust of wind from the southwest,
after which the evening was fair.

At the Whitebear camp we had a heavy dew this morning,
which is quite a remarkable occurrence. The party
continues to be occupied with the boat, the crossbars for
which are now finished, and there remain only the strips
to complete the wood work: the skins necessary to cover
it have already been prepared and they amount to twenty-eight
elk skins and four buffaloe skins. Among our game
were two beaver, which we have had occasion to observe
always are found wherever there is timber. We also killed
a large bat or goatsucker of which there are many in this
neighbourhood, resembling in every respect those of the
same species in the United States. We have not seen the
leather-winged bat for some time, nor are there any of the
small goatsucker in this part of the Missouri. We have
not seen either that species of goatsucker or nighthawk
called the whippoorwill, which is commonly confounded

in the United States with the large goatsucker which we
observe here; this last prepares no nest but lays its eggs in
the open plains; they generally begin to sit on two eggs,
and we believe raise only one brood in a season: at the present
moment they are just hatching their young.

Monday, July 1. After a severe day's work captain
Clarke reached our camp in the evening, accompanied by
his party and all the baggage except that left at the six-mile
stake, for which they were too much fatigued to return.
The route from the lower camp on Portage creek
to that near Whitebear island, having been now measured
and examined by captain Clarke was as follows:

From our camp opposite the last considerable rapid to
the entrance of Portage creek south 9° east for three quarters
of a mile: thence on a course south 10° east for two
miles, though for the canoes the best route is to the left of
this course, and strikes Portage one mile and three quarters
from its entrance, avoiding in this way a very steep hill
which lies above Portage creek: from this south 18° west
for four miles, passing the head of a drain or ravine which
falls into the Missouri below the great falls, and to the Willow
run which has always a plentiful supply of good water
and some timber: here the course turns to south 45° west
for four miles further; then south 66° west three miles,
crossing at the beginning of the course the head of a drain
which falls into the Missouri at the Crooked Falls, and
reaching an elevated point of the plain from which south
42° west. On approaching the river on this course there
is a long and gentle descent from the high plain, after
which the road turns a little to the right of the course up
the river to our camp. The whole portage is seventeen
and three quarter miles.

At the Whitebear camp we were occupied with the boat
and digging a pit for the purpose of making some tar. The
day has been warm, and the musquitoes troublesome. We
were fortunate enough to observe equal altitudes of the

sun with sextant, which since our arrival here we have been
prevented from doing, by flying clouds and storms in the
evening.

Tuesday, July 2d. A shower of rain fell very early this
morning. We then despatched some men for the baggage
left behind yesterday, and the rest were engaged in putting
the boat together. This was accomplished in about three
hours, and then we began to sew on the leather over the
crossbars of iron on the inner side of the boat which form
the ends of the sections. By two o'clock the last of the
baggage arrived, to the great delight of the party who were
anxious to proceed. The musquitoes we find very troublesome.

Having completed our celestial observations we went
over to the large island to make an attack upon its inhabitants
the bears, who have annoyed us very much of late,
and who were prowling about our camp all last night. We
found that the part of the island frequented by the bear
forms an almost impenetrable thicket of the broad-leafed
willow: into this we forced our way in parties of three; but
could see only one bear, who instantly attacked Drewyer
Fortunately as he was rushing on the hunter shot him
through the heart within twenty paces and he fell, which
enabled Drewyer to get out of his way: we then followed
him one hundred yards and found that the wound had been
mortal. Not being able to discover any more of these animals
we returned to camp: here in turning over some of the
baggage we caught a rat somewhat larger than the common
European rat, and of a lighter colour; the body and outer
parts of the legs and head of a light lead colour; the inner
side of the legs as well as the belly, feet and ears are white;
the ears are not covered with hair, and are much larger
than those of the common rat; the toes also are longer, the
eyes black and prominent, the whiskers very long and full;
the tail rather longer than the body, and covered with fine
fur and hair of the same size with that on the back, which

is very close, short, and silky in its texture. This was the
first we had met, although its nests are very frequent among
the cliff's of rocks and hollow trees, where we also found
large quantities of the shells and seed of the prickly pear,
on which we conclude they chiefly subsist. The musquitoes
are uncommonly troublesome. The wind was again
high from the southwest: these winds are in fact always the
coldest and most violent which we experience, and the hypothesis
which we have formed on that subject is, that the
air coming in contact with the Snowy mountains immediately
becomes chilled and condensed, and being thus rendered
heavier than the air below it descends into the rarified
air below or into the vacuum formed by the constant action
of the sun on the open unsheltered plains. The clouds rise
suddenly near these mountains and distribute their contents
partially over the neighbouring plains. The same
cloud will discharge hail alone in one part, hail and rain in
another, and rain only in a third, and all within the space
of a few miles; while at the same time there is snow falling
on the mountains to the southeast of us. There is at present
no snow on those mountains; that which covered them
on our arrival as well as that which has since fallen having
disappeared. The mountains to the north and northwest of
us are still entirely covered with snow, and indeed there
has been no perceptible diminution of it since we first saw
them, which induces a belief either that the clouds prevailing
at this season do not reach their summits or that they
deposit their snow only. They glisten with great beauty
when the sun shines on them in a particular direction, and
most probably from this glittering appearance have derived
the name of the Shining mountains.

Wednesday, 3. Nearly the whole party were employed
in different labours connected with the boat, which is
now almost completed: but we have not as yet been able
to obtain tar from our kiln, a circumstance that will occasion
us not a little embarrassment. Having been told

by the Indians that on leaving the falls we should soon
pass the buffaloe country, we have before us the prospect
of fasting occasionally; but in order to provide a supply
we sent out the hunters who killed only a buffaloe and
two antelopes, which added to six beaver and two otter
have been all our game for two or three days. At ten in
the morning we had a slight shower which scarcely wet
the grass.

Thursday, July 4th. The boat was now completed except
what is in fact the most difficult part, the making her
seams secure. We had intended to despatch a canoe with
part of our men to the United States early this spring; but
not having yet seen the Snake Indians, or knowing whether
to calculate on their friendship or enmity, we have decided
not to weaken our party which is already scarcely sufficient
to repel any hostility. We were afraid too that such
a measure might dishearten those who remain; and as we
have never suggested it to them, they are all perfectly and
enthusiastically attached to the enterprise, and willing
to encounter any danger to ensure its success. We had a
heavy dew this morning.

Since our arrival at the falls we have repeatedly heard
a strange noise coming from the mountains in a direction
a little to the north of west. It is heard at different periods
of the day and night, sometimes when the air is perfectly
still and without a cloud, and consists of one stroke
only, or of five or six discharges in quick succession. It
is loud and resembles precisely the sound of a six pound
piece of ordnance at the distance of three miles. The
Minnetarees frequently mentioned this noise like thunder,
which they said the mountains made; but we had paid no
attention to it, believing it to have been some superstition
or perhaps a falsehood. The watermen also of the party
say that the Pawnees and Ricaras give the same account
of a noise heard in the Black mountains to the westward of
them. The solution of the mystery given by the philosophy

of the watermen is, that it is occasioned by the bursting
of the rich mines of silver confined within the bosom
of the mountain. An elk and a beaver are all that were killed
to-day: the buffaloe seemed to have withdrawn from our
neighbourhood, though several of the men who went to-day
to visit the falls for the first time, mention that they are
still abundant at that place. We contrived however to spread
not a very sumptuous but a comfortable table in honour of
the day, and in the evening gave the men a drink of spirits,
which was the last of our stock. Some of them appeared
sensible to the effects of even so small a quantity, and as is
usual among them on all festivals, the fiddle was produced
and a dance begun, which lasted till nine o'clock, when it
was interrupted by a heavy shower of rain. They continued
however their merriment till a late hour.

Friday 5. The boat was brought up into a high situation
and fires kindled under her in order to dry her more
expeditiously. Despairing now of procuring any tar, we
formed a composition of pounded charcoal with beeswax
and buffaloe tallow to supply its place; should this resource
fail us it will be very unfortunate, as in every other
respect the boat answers our purposes completely. Although
not quite dry she can be carried with ease by five
men; her form is as complete as could be wished; very strong,
and will carry at least eight thousand pounds with her complement
of hands. Besides our want of tar, we have been
unlucky in sewing the skins with a needle which had
sharp edges instead of a point merely, although a large
thong was used in order to fill the hole, yet it shrinks in
drying and leaves the hole open, so that we fear the boat
will leak.

A large herd of buffaloe came near us and we procured
three of them: besides which were killed two wolves and
three antelopes. In the course of the day other herds of
buffaloe came near our camp on their way down the river:
these herds move with great method and regularity.

Although ten or twelve herds are seen scattered from each
other over a space of many miles, yet if they are undisturbed
by pursuit they will be uniformly travelling in the
same direction.

Saturday 6. Last night there were several showers of
rain and hail, attended with thunder and lightning: and
about day break a heavy storm came on from the southwest
with one continued roar of thunder, and rain and hail. The
hail which was as large as musket balls, covered the ground
completely; and on collecting some of it, it lasted during
the day and served to cool the water. The red and yellow
currant is abundant and now ripe, although still a little
acid. We have seen in this neighbourhood what we have
not met before, a remarkably small fox which associates
in bands and burrows in the prairie, like the small wolf, but
have not yet been able to obtain any of them, as they are
extremely vigilant, and betake themselves on the slightest
alarm to their burrows which are very deep.

Sunday 7. The weather is warm but cloudy, so that
the moisture retained by the bark after the rain leaves it
slowly, though we have small fires constantly under the
boat. We have no tents, and therefore are obliged to use
the sails to keep off the bad weather. Our buffaloe skins
too, are scarcely sufficient to cover our baggage, but the
men are now dressing others to replace their present leather
clothing, which soon rots by being so constantly exposed
to water. In the evening the hunters returned with
the skins of only three buffaloe, two antelope, four deer, and
three wolf skins, and reported that the buffaloe had gone
further down the river; two other hunters who left us this
morning could find nothing except one elk: in addition to
this we caught a beaver. The musquitoes still disturb us
very much, and the blowing-flies swarm in vast numbers
round the boat. At four in the afternoon we had a light
shower of rain attended with some thunder and lightning.

Monday 8. In order more fully to replace the notes of
the river which he had lost, and which he was prevented
from supplying by the storm of the twenty-ninth ult. captain
Clarke set out after breakfast, taking with him nearly
the whole party with a view of shooting buffaloe if there
should be any near the falls. After getting some distance
in the plains the men were divided into squads, and he with
two others struck the Missouri at the entrance of Medicine
river, and thence proceeded down to the great cataract. He
found that the immense herds of buffaloe have entirely disappeared,
and he thought had gone below the falls. Having
made the necessary measurements, he returned through the
plains and reached camp late in the evening; the whole party
had killed only three buffaloe, three antelopes and a deer;
they had also shot a small fox, and brought a living ground-squirrel
somewhat larger than those of the United States.

The day was warm and fair, but a slight rain fell in
the afternoon. The boat having now become sufficiently dry,
we gave it a coat of the composition, which after a proper
interval was repeated, and the next morning,

Tuesday 9, she was lanched into the water, and swam
perfectly well: the seats were then fixed and the oars fitted;
but after we had loaded her, as well as the canoes, and were
on the point of setting out a violent wind caused the waves
to wet the baggage, so that we were forced to unload them.
The wind continued high till evening, when to our great
disappointment we discovered that nearly all the composition
had separated from the skins, and left the seams perfectly
exposed; so that the boat now leaked very much. To
repair this misfortune without pitch is impossible, and as
none of that article is to be procured, we therefore, however
reluctantly, are obliged to abandon her, after having
had so much labour in the construction. We now saw that
the section of the boat covered with buffaloe skins on which
hair had been left, answered better than the elk skins and
leaked but little; while that part which was covered with

hair about one eighth of an inch, retained the composition
perfectly, and remained sound and dry. From this we perceived
that had we employed buffaloe instead of elk skins,
and not singed them so closely as we have done, carefully
avoiding to cut the leather in sewing, the boat would have
been sufficient even with the present composition, or had we
singed instead of shaving the elk skins we might have succeeded.
But we discovered our error too late: the buffaloe
had deserted us, the travelling season was so fast advancing
that we had no time to spare for experiments, and therefore
finding that she could be no longer useful she was sunk
in the water, so as to soften the skins and enable us the
more easily to take her to pieces. It now became necessary
to provide other means for transporting the baggage which
we had intended to stow in her. For this purpose we shall
want two canoes, but for many miles below the mouth of
the Muscleshell river to this place, we have not seen a single
tree fit to be used in that way. The hunters however
who had hitherto been sent after timber, mention that there
is a low ground on the opposite side of the river, about eight
miles above us by land, and more than twice that distance
by water, in which we may probably find trees large enough
for our purposes. Captain Clarke therefore determined to
set out by land for that place with ten of the best workmen
who would be occupied in building the canoes till the rest of
the party, after taking the boat to pieces and making the
necessary deposits, should transport the baggage and join
them with the other six canoes.

Wednesday 10. He accordingly passed over to the opposite
side of the river with his party, and proceeded on eight miles
by land, the distance by water being twenty-three and three
quarter miles. Here he found two cottonwood trees, but on
cutting them down, one proved to be hollow, split at the top
in falling, and both were much damaged at the bottom. He
searched the neighbourhood but could find none which would
suit better, and therefore was obliged to make use of those

which he had felled, shortening them in order to avoid the
cracks, and supplying the deficiency by making them as wide
as possible. They were equally at a loss for wood of which
they might make handles for their axes the eyes of which
not being round they were obliged to split the timber in such
a manner that thirteen of the handles broke in the course of
the day, though made of the best wood they could find for
the purpose, which was the chokecherry.

The rest of the party took the frame of the boat to pieces,
deposited it in a cache or hole, with a draught of the
country from fort Mandan to this place, and also some other
papers and small articles of less importance. After this we
amused ourselves with fishing, and although we had thought
on our arrival that there were none in this part of the river,
we caught some of a species of white chub below the falls,
but few in number, and small in size.

Serjeant Ordway with four canoes and eight men had
set sail in the morning, with part of the baggage to the
place where captain Clarke had fixed his camp, but the
wind was so high that he only reached within three miles
of that place, and encamped for the night.

Thursday, July 11. In the morning one of the canoes
joined captain Clarke: the other three having on board more
valuable articles, which would have been injured by the water,
went on more cautiously, and did not reach the camp
till the evening. Captain Clarke then had the canoes unloaded
and sent back, but the high wind prevented their floating
down nearer than about eight miles above us. His party
were busily engaged with the canoes, and their hunters
supplied them with three fat deer and a buffaloe, in addition
to two deer and an antelope killed yesterday. The few men
who were with captain Lewis were occupied in hunting,
but with not much success, having killed only one buffaloe.
They heard about sunset two discharges of the tremendous
mountain artillery: they also saw several very
large gray eagles, much larger than those of the United

States, and most probably a distinct species, though the bald
eagle of this country is not quite so large as that of the
United States. The men have been much afflicted with
painful whitlows, and one of them disabled from working by
this complaint in his hand.

Friday, 12. In consequence of the wind the canoes did not
reach the lower camp till late in the afternoon, before which
time captain Lewis sent all the men he could spare up the
river to assist in building the boats, and the day was too far
advanced to reload and send them up before morning. The
musquitoes are very troublesome, and they have a companion
not less so, a large black gnat which does not sting, but attacks
the eyes in swarms. The party with captain Clarke
are employed on the canoes; in the course of the work serjeant
Pryor dislocated his shoulder yesterday, but it was
replaced immediately, and though painful does not threaten
much injury. The hunters brought in three deer and two
otter. This last animal has been numerous since the water
has become sufficiently clear for them to take fish. The
blue-crested fisher, or as it is sometimes called, the kingfisher,
is an inhabitant of this part of the river; it is a bird
rare on the Missouri; indeed we had not seen more than
three or four of them from its entrance to Maria's river,
and even those did not seem to reside on the Missouri but on
some of the clearer streams which empty into it, as they
were seen near the mouths of those streams.

Saturday 13. The morning being fair and calm captain
Lewis had all the remaining baggage embarked on board the
six canoes, which sailed with two men in each for the upper
camp. Then with a sick man and the Indian woman, he
left the encampment, and crossing over the river went on
by land to join captain Clarke. From the head of the Whitebear
islands he proceeded in a southwest direction, at the
distance of three miles, till he struck the Missouri, which
he then followed till he reached the place where all the party
were occupied in boat-building. On his way he passed a very

large Indian lodge, which was probably designed as a
great council-house, but it differs in its construction from all
that we have seen lower down the Missouri or elsewhere.
The form of it was a circle two hundred and sixteen feet in
circumference at the base, and composed of sixteen large
cottonwood poles about fifty feet long, and at their thicker
ends, which touched the ground, about the size of a man's
body: they were distributed at equal distances, except that
one was omitted to the east, probably for the entrance. From
the circumference of this circle the poles converged towards
the centre where they were united and secured by large
withes of willow brush. There was no covering over this
fabric, in the centre of which were the remains of a large
fire, and round it the marks of about eighty leathern lodges.
He also saw a number of turtledoves, and some pigeons,
of which he shot one differing in no respect from the wild
pigeon of the United States. The country exhibits its usual
appearances, the timber confined to the river, the country
on both sides as far as the eye can reach being entirely
destitute of trees or brush. In the low ground in which we
are building the canoes, the timber is larger and more abundant
than we have seen it on the Missouri for several hundred
miles. The soil too is good, for the grass and weeds
reach about two feet high, being the tallest we have observed
this season, though on the high plains and prairies the
grass is at no season above three inches in height. Among
these weeds are the sandrush, and nettle in small quantities;
the plains are still infested by great numbers of the small
birds already mentioned, among whom is the brown curlew.
The current of the river is here extremely gentle; the buffaloe
have not yet quite gone, for the hunters brought in three
in very good order. It requires some diligence to supply us
plentifully, for as we reserve our parched meal for the Rocky
mountains, where we do not expect to find much game, our
principal article of food is meat, and the consumption of the
whole thirty-two persons belonging to the party, amounts
to four deer, an elk and a deer, or one buffaloe every twenty
four hours. The musquitoes and gnats persecute us as
violently as below, so that we can get no sleep unless defended
by biers, with which we are all provided. We here
found several plants hitherto unknown to us, and of which
we preserved specimens.

Serjeant Ordway proceeded with the six canoes five
miles up the river, but the wind becoming so high as to wet
the baggage he was obliged to unload and dry it. The wind
abated at five o'clock in the evening, when he again proceeded
eight miles and encamped. The next morning,

Sunday, July 14, he joined us about noon. On leaving
the Whitebear camp he passed at a short distance a little
creek or run coming in on the left. This had been already
examined and called Flattery run; it contains back water
only, with very extensive low grounds, which rising into
large plains reach the mountains on the east; then passed a
willow island on the left within one mile and a half, and
reached two miles further a cliff of rocks in a bend on the
same side. In the course of another mile and a half he passed
two islands covered with cottonwood, box-alder, sweet-willow,
and the usual undergrowth, like that of the Whitebear
islands. At thirteen and three quarter miles he came
to the mouth of a small creek on the left; within the following
nine miles he passed three timbered islands, and after
making twenty-three and a quarter miles from the lower
camp, arrived at the point of woodland on the north where
the canoes were constructed.

The day was fair and warm; the men worked very industriously,
and were enabled by the evening to lanch the
boats, which now want only seats and oars to be complete.
One of them is twenty-five, the other thirty-three feet in
length and three feet wide. Captain Lewis walked out between
three and four miles over the rocky bluffs to a high
situation, two miles from the river, a little below Fort
Mountain creek. The country which he saw was in most parts

level, but occasionally became varied by gentle rises and
descents, but with no timber except along the water. From
this position, the point at which the Missouri enters the
first chain of the Rocky mountains bore south 28° west
about twenty-five miles, according to our estimate.

The northern extremity of that chain north 73° west at
the distance of eighty miles.

To the same extremity of the second chain north 65°
west one hundred and fifty miles.

To the most remote point of a third and continued chain
of these mountains north 50° west about two hundred miles.

The direction of the first chain was from south 20° east
to north 20° west; of the second, from south 45° east to
north 45° west; but the eye could not reach their southern
extremities, which most probably may be traced to Mexico.
In a course south 75° west, and at the distance of eight
miles is a mountain, which from its appearance we shall call
Fort Mountain. It is situated in the level plain, and forms
nearly a square, each side of which is a mile in extent.
These sides, which are composed of a yellow clay with no
mixture of rock or stone whatever, rise perpendicularly to
the height of three hundred feet, where the top becomes a
level plain covered, as captain Lewis now observed, with a
tolerably fertile mould two feet thick, on which was a coat
of grass similar to that of the plain below: it has the appearance
of being perfectly inaccessible, and although the
mounds near the falls somewhat resemble it, yet none of
them are so large.